A Well Earned Celebration

[bravenewmods]

[The battle was over and the god Reshiram defeated, driven away by the aid of Union and its allies. The city was safe, by and large, and as the news spread throughout the peoples of the tundra, they began streaming back into the settlement in droves. Dirty, ash-coated faces were filled with relief and gratitude when they saw that it wasn't just a rumor and that their home had indeed been spared. Not everyone was so lucky, but they'd weathered worse, of course. The people of Glacier endured, as they would always endure, and they were also a people that repaid their debts. And they most certainly all agreed that they owed their rescuers a debt.

So, as night fell after the battle, a great celebration was prepared in the center of Glacier. A wide square was cleared away in a matter of hours, and the people gathered what they could in a show of thanks. Tables of food, bonfires towering into the night sky to keep out the autumn chill, and throngs of cheering wellwishers lined the area. Warriors of glacier, men carrying swords and women all bearing axes offered enthusiastic handshakes and claps on the back. Music of all kinds was played, though tribal tunes full of horn and percussion, chanting and yodeling, and even some brass groups dominated the soundscape.

A platform for various elders was set up, and they offered speeches, of course...but those were somehow dwarfed by the presence of the divine beings that were waiting silently for the proceedings to end. Some of the gods that had come to the aid of the war parties had apparently decided to stay, though their reasons were as mysterious as they themselves. The humans would have their time, and the Servants would mingle freely throughout the evening.

Food, of course, is set out in piles. Meat, fish, arctic berries, and various pastries and the like line table after table. A smorgasbord of Glacier specialties, each with a new and unique flavor all their own, and some (such as the stew) possessing a smell that only a native could probably endure. Akutaq in particular seems to stand out among the worst offenders, but the Glacier natives seem rather fond of it, and offer it to their rescuers with great gusto.

And the rewards do not stop at simple meals. either. As the speeches begin to wind down, a woman some might find familiar walks up onto the stage carrying a singularly massive trunk and dropping it down onto the wood with a heavy thud.]

Southerners! You have done a great deed this day! We, the people of Glacier, would like to thank you and honor your sacrifice! Few would do as you have done, coming to the aide of strangers against the might of that dragon...and you have accomplished something we did not think possible. To that end, we would like to present you with the first of many gifts, a token of our gratitude and a promise that should you need it, we will come to your defense in a time of need!

[And then with a sharp kick, she cracks open the trunk and reveals a veritable treasure trove of three different stones to be distributed by her subordinates.]

Rest well, and enjoy the festivities! You are welcome here, for as long as you like! Eat, drink, and be merry within our halls!

Comments

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Escaping the attention of the celebrating Glacierites for a moment, Saber sighs as privately as possible.]

It's not that I don't appreciate it, but the food here is like a minefield. Some great, some...almost like wild food. After so much time in Union, it's a bit of a shock.

[smitesevil]

Wild food...

[ Sanger looks at the food in his hands. ]

I suppose it is rather raw, but compared to picking whatever you come across, it is rather amazing.

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Saber hears this and reconsiders it.]

I suppose. I've just spent most of my life living on berries, and the parts of this I can identify are...mostly berries.

[smitesevil]

It really is.

[ ... ]

Better than bark, at least.

[ofpromisedvictory]

...I can't say I've ever been hungry enough to eat bark.

[Raw, anyway.]

[smitesevil]

I do not recommend it.

[ He really doesn't. ]

Though when you are on the run, you do not always have a choice.

[ofpromisedvictory]

You've spent time on the run in the forest? I didn't expect that from a straightforward warrior like yourself.

[smitesevil]

That is not surprising, since I have not shared the story with anyone. I was captured by Gigas. I escaped, but it was months after that before I found civilisation again. I did what I had to in order to survive at the time.

[ofpromisedvictory]

Captured? How terrifying...

Escaping couldn't have been easy based on what I've heard of Gigas.

[smitesevil]

It is a minor miracle I got to Union, but escaping itself was easier than you might expect. They were mostly surgeons with a few guards on standby, and I had just Enlightened with nothing to lose.

It was simply a matter of finding a weapon and cutting my way out.

[ofpromisedvictory]

[Saber nods approvingly.]

Judging by how you fight now, they didn't stand much of a chance. How long were you in the wilderness afterward?

[smitesevil]

I cannot say. I do not know how long I was captured by Gigas, and I lost track of time after the first two months outside. It must have been at least a year in total. Enough for me to be declared dead by Caldera, at least.